Dalit delegation meets EU officials
Two Dalit representatives from India and one from Nepal joined their IDSN colleagues in Brussels last week to inform European Union officials about the nature and scale of caste discrimination in South Asia.
Report: Caste discrimination rife in UK
Tens of thousands of people of South Asian origin face caste discrimination in the workplace, the classroom and the doctor’s surgery, says a new study by the Anti Caste Discrimination Alliance (ACDA). The Alliance is campaigning to make caste discrimination illegal in the UK.
UN Special Rapporteur urges States to “rally around” caste guidelines
At the 64th session of the UN General Assembly the UN Special Rapporteur on contemporary forms of racism, Mr. Githu Muigai, expressed his serious concern about caste discrimination and recommended States to “engage in substantive discussions on this topic”. He specifically called on States to take action on the draft UN principles and guidelines to eliminate caste discrimination.
UN Minority Forum: More political participation for Dalits
IDSN urges the UN Forum on Minority issues to consider ways to enhance political participation, especially for Dalit women.
Dalit activist released in Pakistan
A Pakistani Dalit activist and human rights defender was released by his abductors on 28 October after having endured 34 days of captivity.
Pillay calls for UN convention on caste
In an interview with US weekly The Nation, the UN High Commissioner for Human Rights says that caste systems can be removed “through an expression of international outrage”.
Press release: Time to tear down the wall of caste
UN Rights Official calls on world to end caste discrimination like it did apartheid.
UN High Commissioner: Tear down the barriers of caste
The UN High Commissioner for Human Rights, Navi Pillay, calls on the international community to ‘come together’ and support caste affected-communities ‘as it did when it helped put an end to apartheid.’
Join the debate: Express your views!
The international debate on caste discrimination is also taking place on blogs and media websites. Now is the time to join the debate on caste discrimination as a human rights violation and the role of the international community.
Boom in media reports on UN and caste discrimination
The world’s largest English-language newspaper, The Times of India, called the UN’s stance on caste discrimination an “embarrassment” to India, and the BBC World Service aired a live debate programme on caste discrimination on 29 September.